My kids’ schools have Mother’s Day plant sales each spring, where I give them money to pick out plants for me, without me seeing the choices. No matter what they choose, whether it be a beet or a begonia, I have to find a place for it in my garden. This year, both kids came home with basil plants, among a few other challenging non-food items that had to go into the ground somewhere.
When I planted the basil plants, I planned to use it as soon as my 20 tomato plants produced fruit. I learned about tomatoes and basil: Basil is ready to harvest way before tomatoes are even flowering (for you newbie and non-gardeners, tomatoes start off as little yellow flowers). So, while I wait for my little yellow flowers to grow into big juicy tomatoes, I would have to use the basil for other things.
My son was so thrilled to bring me home an herb he knew I would enjoy, that he asked me to make a dish with it for dinner that night. Challenge accepted! And that’s how my Lemon Basil Chicken recipe was born. I wasn’t too sure he was going to like it – there was a lot of green everywhere, but he loved it! My daughter, on the other hand, was put off by the green stuff and decided to take a pass on trying the new dish. Six years later, I am excited to add this low-FODMAP and gluten-free recipe to my collection.
When making Lemon Basil Chicken, you can change amounts of ingredients to satisfy your palate. Feel free to alter the ingredients to your taste.
Lemon Basil Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup basil leaves
- 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic for the low-FODMAP version, use 2 tablespoons garlic-infused oil or 2 pinches or asafoetida powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil omit if using garlic-infused oil for the low-FODMAP version
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Chop the basil and place in a shallow bowl.
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Zest the lemon into the bowl and add the juice from 1/2 the lemon.
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Add the garlic and the olive oil and mix.
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Using your hands, coat the chicken breasts with the mixture and leave them in the bowl to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
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Grill on high heat, turning once, until the internal temperature reaches 165 F. Alternatively, bake on a sheet pan in the oven for 25 minutes at 350 F or until the internal temperature reaches 165 F.
Voila! There you have Lemon Basil Chicken. It’s flavorful and it goes great with cauliflower couscous (not low-FODMAP, but gluten-free), fried rice (low-FODMAP and gluten-free), and corn on the cob for an easy and delicious summer dinner.